Verizon to eliminate all 3rd party ISPs

I came across an interesting factoid yesterday. I'm in a trial area for Verizon optical fiber connections to the Internet. On Verizon's DSL lines they are required by Washington law to provide equal access for other Internet Service Providers (ISPs). I'm using a very good local
ISP instead of the sucky one that Verizon has set up.

I called into my ISP and Verizon to switch over from DSL to optical, (3x the speed for the same price), yesterday. Both told me I can no longer use Zipcon as my ISP, I *have to* use Verizon.

So why should you care?

Because your ISP directs, and can monitor all of your Internet traffic. By putting this power in the hands of a "baby bell", you can be more easily monitored and controlled in your Internet access. This *one company* can see everything you do on the net and decide where you can
or can not go.

Although Verizon will kindly enough "allow" you to host your mail elsewhere, this does not impact the fact that as your ISP they control your Internet access.

To make things worse, Verizon is plagued with "zombie" computers that will attack any other machine on the Verizon network as soon as you plug into it. Before I dumped Verizon as an ISP I was getting over 300 attacks per day. They also have the worst service I've ever seen. Up
to 3 hours on hold to talk to a human and significant outages (where you have to call) every month or so.

Call congress and raise a stinking fit! There is no way they should use a new type of wire to bypass existing Washington state law!

Can Bush send troops against the will of congress?

Mr. Bush, read 'em and weep.

US Constitution, Article 1, Section 8

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
...
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;
...

'nuf said.